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Commissioners welcome San Miguel County veteran services partnership, ask for website updates and tracking of workload
Summary
The board discussed a new shared veteran services officer arrangement with San Miguel County and asked staff to update the county website to reflect veteran services as a department; the new veteran services officer reported initial results from San Miguel County.
The Board of County Commissioners discussed a partnership to share veteran service officer (VSO) resources with San Miguel County and asked county staff to update the county website and consider elevating veteran services to a department‑level entry.
Commissioners said the county’s website currently returns outdated files when users search for veteran services and asked County staff to consult with the new VSO and San Miguel County materials to create current, accessible content and cross‑links. One commissioner emphasized that approximately 14 percent of local residents are veterans and asked that the county make veteran services easier to find and more prominent.
Mikhail (identified in the meeting as the new veteran services officer) reported early results from San Miguel County’s work: "in the year that we've done work with the VSO office, we've generated around $8,000 a month and a hundred thousand dollars a year for the county in claims and pensions for those veterans," and cited successes in housing and suicide prevention work. Commissioners said the contract for the shared VSO had already been approved and welcomed future status reports.
The board asked administration and the PIO to work with the VSO on website content and to coordinate on outreach and metrics to track time and caseload under the shared arrangement.
